Grandma's Cheesecake - 1960s

1 lb. ricotta cheese (or dry cottage cheese)
1 lb. cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, milted
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 pint sour cream

Mix cheeses well with beater. Add butter and eggs. (I added butter, beat to mix and then added eggs). Add remaining ingredients; fold in sour cream. (Note that this says add remaining ingredients - don't add sour cream yet. Also, the next time I make this I'll add the flour and cornstarch before adding the eggs. I believe they will blend better and smoother.) Thoroughly grease 12" Bundt pan and dust with fine zwieback crumbs. (I used just enough graham cracker crumbs to barely cover the bottom of a spring form pan sprayed with non-stick spray with flour.) Pour batter into pan and bake for one hour. Turn off oven and allow to remain in oven for one additional hour. Glaze or top if desired. Refrigerate. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes: This recipe came from my wonderful friend Lillian. She ran across it in a little paper cookbook that she bought many years ago at the cost of 10 cents. It dates back in the 1960s.

I used the graham cracker crumbs because I haven't seen Zwieback crackers since my kids were little. For those of you who don't know what they are, back then they were used for teething cookies for babies. Also, I read the recipe before beginning but didn't keep in mind that you include everything BUT the sour cream. I added that with the other ingredients. It did turn out fine so I have no idea as to what difference it might have made. This is a delicious cheese cake, a little different from what you may be accustomed to. I don't like a glaze on my cheese cakes but you can add strawberries, cherries, etc. and a little glaze. Don't go very heavy, weight wise, with your toppings. This is a delicate cake and a heavy topping will cause it to break up. It might even be best to serve a topping on a piece that's been cut and plated. No matter how you eat and serve this, it's delicious!